salute was the way to go. He closed the office door behind him.
In the parking lot, he ducked behind the dumpster to light up the page of Damon’s letter and crush the remnants to ash while Brian watched. Overkill, for sure, but anything related to Damon deserved to be set on fire and crushed. It was therapeutic. “Done. Let’s go home.”
Luger hopped in the back, but Brian got behind the wheel and said, “Tip your seat back and relax. I got it from here.”
He didn’t argue, stretching and rotating his shoulders against the seat. The North Carolina landscape went past— small wooden houses, most with porches, and thin stands of trees, with cypress and sweetgums and loblolly pines where the road dipped in the low spots. It wasn’t Minnesota’s flat, smooth greenness, with her lakes and lush fields and tall pines and oaks, but it’d become home.
They turned in at the drive up to the battered, lopsided house and that sense grew stronger. This was his place, their place together. He’d put gravel on that walk and repaired that deck. And it was going to get better. He hugged his growing happiness to himself, just a minute longer.
They got out. Brian let Luger out to run around the grass and lifted their bags out of the back of the SUV. Nick sat on the front steps and patted the stair beside him. “Take a load off.”
Brian set the bags down and sat hesitantly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” He focused on Brian’s face to capture all of his expressions. “I got a call while you were passed out.” He took a slow breath, drawing the moment out. “Jason Edwards accepted our offer.”
“Our— the house? This house?” A smile dawned on Brian’s face, bright as daybreak. “We get to keep it?”
“Yep.” He was grinning just as widely. “Between your Minnesota Find money and my trailer sale, offering enough cash up front did the trick. He said yes. We’re set to sign the papers Monday.”
“We got it!” Brian bounced to his feet and spun in a circle, staring at the drive, the house, the yard. “Ours? Forever?”
“Unless we trade up someday.”
“No! I love it.” Brian patted the stair rail. “It’ll be perfect with a bit more work.”
“We’re gonna be broke for a while. Might be able to afford a few cans of paint, though.”
“Yellow. I want to paint it sunshine yellow.”
Nick laughed. “Sure. We can do that.”
“I want a swing set for Joshie. Mom used to take us to the playground when things were good, and she’d push me on the swing and smile. She said a swing was the closest thing to flying.”
Brian so rarely talked about good family memories. Nick stood and wrapped an arm around him. “We can get a swing set, and a fence— for Joshie and Luger.”
“Around our own backyard!” Brian hugged him, turning to press his face against Nick’s shoulder. “No one can take it away. No more leaving stuff behind.”
No more garbage bags stuffed with everything I own. He kissed Brian’s hair, baby-fine strands against his lips.
Brian sniffled and laughed and rubbed his face against Nick’s T-shirt, leaving dampness behind. Nick blinked back his own tears. “Eww, boogers on my shirt. Brian!”
Brian snorted and shoved him away. “It’s not boogers!”
“Snot boogers, that’s what I said.”
He dodged Brian’s kick at his shins, laughing, but didn’t avoid Brian’s lunge, big arms wrapped around his waist, bringing him down to the ground. They rolled onto the grass and stayed there, tangled up together, his weight supported by Brian’s ample chest. For a second, his head spun, gravity sucking him down toward the earth, his piece of earth, with his big, soft, strong man under him, wrapped around him. I love this. Love you. He pushed up with one elbow and kissed Brian, pressing his mouth on full lips parted in joy and pleasure. The taste of Brian’s mouth completed the circuit. I want this forever.
He raised up enough to look into Brian’s pale blue eyes. “You’re never going to leave me?” It wasn’t quite a question, but his breath still caught on the last words.
Brian grabbed the back of Nick’s head and pulled him down for a harder kiss. “Never. And you don’t wish you had someone smarter or skinnier—” As Nick kissed those words off his mouth, he mumbled, “Or with less annoying relatives?”
“Wait. That last one…” Nick grinned down at him. “Nope. I love Joshie, and I can tolerate Lori, and Damon, um, has his moments. They’re not getting rid of me. You’re not.”
“Forever and uulp—”
Luger’s furry face suddenly came between them, slurping his tongue over each of them in turn, nudging at them as if wondering why they were sprawled on the ground. The dog backed off, play-bowed, and barked.
Nick sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Your dog, on the other hand…”
“You love my dog.” Brian sat up too, eyes bright, lips curved. “You love our dog and our house and—”
Nick put a hand under his chin and Brian stilled, their gazes meeting. “And you. I love you.”
“Forever and ever,” Brian whispered. “Because all the best stories end that way.”
Forever and ever. Let it be true. Nick sent one wish, maybe even a prayer, spiraling up into the blue North Carolina sky to whatever deity might be listening. Then he set about kissing the shit out of his boyfriend, while their dog leaped around their yard and barked, and the future opened up sweeter than he’d ever dreamed of.
######
About the Author
I get asked about my name a lot. It’s not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I was born in Montreal but I’ve lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.
I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty-five years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, sci-fi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (under the pen name Kira Harp).
My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts and teachers who speak their minds, and I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.
I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, including Amazon bestseller The Rebuilding Year and Rainbow Award winner for “Best Mystery-Thriller” Tracefinder: Contact. Readers can find a complete list of my books with links on my website at https://kajeharper.com/books/
I’m always pleased to have readers find me online:
Website: https://kajeharper.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper
Facebook group: Kaje’s Conversation Corner: https://www.facebook.com/groups/208207893795147/
Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4769304.Kaje_Harper
Other Books by Kaje Harper
Self-Published/Indie:
Changes Coming Down (Changes #1)
Changes Going On (Changes #2)
Tracefinder: Contact (Tracefinder #1)
Tracefinder: Changes (Tracefinder #2)
Tracefinder: Choices (Tracefinder #3)
The Family We’re Born With (Finding Family #1) – free novella
The Family We Make (Finding Family #2)
Rejoice, Dammit
Unfair in Love and War
(in the charity anthology Another Place in Time)
Not Your Grandfather’s Magic
(in the charity anthology Wish Come True)
Don’t Plan to Stay
Love and Lint Rollers
Second Act
Audiobooks:
Into Deep Waters – Narrated by Kaleo Griffith
The Rebuilding Year – Narrated by Gomez Pugh
Life, Some Assembly Required – Narrated by Gomez Pugh
Building Forever – Narrated by Gomez Pugh
Re-releases:
The Rebuilding Year (Rebuilding Year #1)
Life, Some Assembly Required (Rebuilding Year #2)
Building Forever (Rebuilding Year #2.5)
Sole Support
Gift of the Goddess
Fair Isn’t Life
From MLR Press:
Life Lessons (Life Lessons #1)
Breaking Cover (Life Lessons #2)
Home Work (Life Lessons #3)
Learning Curve (Life Lessons #4)
Unacceptable Risk (Hidden Wolves #1)
Unexpected Demands (Hidden Wolves #2)
Unjustified Claims (Hidden Wolves #3)
Unsafe Exposure (Hidden Wolves #4)
Storming Love: Nelson & Caleb
Full Circle
Where the Heart Is
Ghosts and Flames
Possibilities
Tumbling Dreams (currently out of print)
Free series stories:
And To All a Good Night (Life Lessons #1.5)
Getting It Right (Life Lessons #1.8)
Compensations (Life Lessons #3.5)
Unsettled Interlude (Hidden Wolves #1.15)
Unwanted Appeal (Hidden Wolves #2.5)
Can’t Hurt to Believe (Into Deep Waters #1.005)
Stand-alone free novels:
Into Deep Waters
Nor Iron Bars a Cage
Chasing Death Metal Dreams
Lies and Consequences
Laser Visions
Stand-alone free short stories:
Like the Taste of Summer
Show Me Yours
Within Reach
Shooting Star
A full list with blurbs, and download and buy links can be found at:
http://www.kajeharper.com/books/